Foundations for Faithfulness - 3

What motivates a person to remain faithful to his or her values? Why should a man remain faithful to his wife? Why should a wife remain faithful to her husband? And why should parents keep the faith with both their aging mothers and fathers, as well as with their children?

The Hebrew word for faithfulness cannot be easily translated into English. Our vocabulary doesn't contain a word that combines "faithfulness" with love, or goodness, or mercy. The best we can do is to add an adjective to a noun. Even then, the true meaning of the Hebrew is not made clear in English.

First, faithfulness implies an a quality of character. Faithfulness is what we

understand as we come to know God. He is committed to every word he has spoken. He will never change. He is trustworthy in everything he does or says. He can never lie. God will never begin something and end it. His purposes remain and he tells us what they are. Because the Lord is faithful, we can accept that he is unchanging.

Secondly, faithfulness is unending. Deeply treasured values made known in the past unending-ly into the future. "Unfailing love" communicates more than just "love". "Steadfast mercy"indicates unending and immeasurable grace. It indicates continuity.

Thirdly, faithfulness can only be known in the context of testing and trial. Every thing that comes our way tests our character and our steadfastness to what we believe and live for.

This blog focuses on and will continue to ponder the meaning of faithfulness. We will continue to examine the lives of people whose character shows this wonderful quality.

(Pomegranates and other fruits remind me of faithfulness. Buying any kind of fruit, I expect the same taste I've enjoyed in the past. Lord, help us to reflect in our daily lives the qualities people expect to find in followers of our wonderful Savior.)